Katya Reimann, Writer & Artist
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Ornamental Beadwork

11/28/2018

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A friend got in touch recently about my beaded Christmas ornaments. I'd taken a break, because the process is too hand intensive. I've given myself carpel tunnel symptoms more than once, working on these pieces--and I believe that I am never going to do one as big as this big boy again. It's 3" diameter, and I really didn't give proper thought to what this meant about the spherical surface area until I was well along! But--am glad to be revisiting these again.

Check out some other ornaments (if you haven't already done so) on my Artwork/Beadwork page.
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Nancy Carlson's Daily Doodles

11/24/2018

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“You were wild once don’t let them tame you.” Isadora Duncan © 2018 Nancy Carlson
Carlson's books were not household favorites when my kids were young, but what she's going through right now--I have empathy for it. A beloved family member's illness torpedoed her life on every level. Through it, she produced--and uploaded a "Doodle a Day," to keep herself going.

Nancy Carlson's Doodling Process

​The first article I read about her doodling was not very interesting--but then I looked at the images. She is going through a fascinating evolution, day-by-doodled day.
In the bedroom-turned-studio of her apartment in Bloomington, her drawing table sits next to a window that overlooks a parking lot.
“Barry would have caught that,” she said. “He was the detail guy. Before we would have rented this place, he would have walked around the building and said, ‘No, let’s find a unit with a better view for you.’ ”
I wish Carlson all the best as she works her way through this painful episode. Hope she makes it to the other side & back to joy.
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Nikolai Mikhailovich Kochergin (1897-1974)

11/24/2018

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All I know about Kochergin: something in his fairytale illustrations appeals to me. I came across this illustration yesterday.  It is a cropped image from a postcard that someone sold awhile back on Etsy.

I find this illustration humorous. Yes, that fox looks like he's in trouble (yes, I'm quite certain that foolish fox is a he), equally, I'm quite sure that he's going to come out of the situation scathed, but perhaps wiser.

I can't find out anything else online about the Fairy Tale (or, the thing I'd really like to see, an uncropped verstion of this illustration).
Russian Folk Tale
Russian Folk Tale "The Fox and The Eagle" - N. Kochergin, 1963
I got intrigued. The limits of the internet fascinate me.  And the more I looked for Kochergin images, the more I realized how familiar I was with his imagery.  To some extent, he has the corner on classic Russian fairytale imagery.  He owes a debt to Ivan Bilibin (1876-1942)--one of those innocent, tremendous "Golden Age of Illustration" artists who got caught up in weird Central European Nationalism (much to the detriment of their illustrations, I'd put Alphonse Mucha in this category also). But from what I can tell, Kochergin is a creature of a different generation.

I say "from what I can tell," because the internet isn't telling me anything about these next pieces, except that they are all images created by artists named, variously, "N. Kochergin," "Nikolai Kochergin," and "Nikolai Mikhailovich Kochergin," all of whom appear to have lived 1897-1974. I am pretty sure that these are all the same person. But--this is just from the internet, so maybe not.  In any case, Kochergin's images:

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A 1920 ANTI CAPITALIST PROPAGANDA POSTER BY NIKOLAI KOCHERGIN (RUSSIAN 1897-1974)
EGE KAPITALISTU GORE, ZAGONIM EVO V CHERNOE MORE [Aha Sorrow to the Capitalist, We Will Drive Him Into the Black Sea], color lithograph, 1920, initialed in plate, 70 x 105.5 cm (27 1/2 x 41 1/2 in.)
SOVIET WWII PROPAGANDA POSTCARD, PUBLISHED IN LENINGRAD DURING THE BLOCKADE. ARTIST N. KOCHERGIN
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And then come these (POSTCARDS: 1960s. N. KOCHERGIN). Okay, I can see the Social Realism influence here, but there's a step (in history) that I'm feeling gets glossed over:
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What was the progression from the young man who created the top image to the old(er) man who created these last images? I don't know if it would make a book. But it's something I'd like to know something more about.
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    Egyptian Falcoln at the MET

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    Katya Reimann is a writer & artist living in Saint Paul, Minnesota.


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    Sites I recommend

    These ones are maintained by long-time personal friends.

    Bensozia
    John Bedell is an archaeologist, historian, and father of five living in Maryland. His blog is a fascinating grab-bag of historical, artistic, and political materials.  This entry about work and leisure gives a good example of his voice.

    William Reimann
    is a consummate artist.  There are so many images to enjoy on this site.  His carved wooden long-leaf red pine Rhinoceros (which he made for me when I was ~11 years old)  is a personal favorite.

    Metro Bikes Trails Guide
    (St. Paul, MN)
    "Reviews and Reports on over 70 bicycle paths in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area!"
    Maintained by the tireless Seamus Flynn, and a great little site for those local to the Twin Cities area.

    Starless River
    Is the U.K. based caving gear store run by serious hard-ass Tony Seddon. This link goes to the 'caves' section of the store's site--complete with alarming portrait photo of Tony ("After 7 days underground and 700m prussiking").

    The Oxford University
    Cave Club
    Maintained by Steve Roberts, a guy who is extraordinary in so many ways, I'll just limit myself here to saying "Steve is a man who knows about motors."

    Earthsign Studios
    This is Liz Manicatide (now Liz LaManche), principal at Emphasis Creative's personal art & graphics site.  I love Liz's work, panache, and aerial artistry, which leads me to--

    Flying Squirrel Consortium
    Phil Servita's site, and the place to go for custom fabricated circus equipment (either freestanding or fixed point), and aerial classes, if you happen to live in the area.

    Paul Nordberg
    Paul's site is... unique, authentic, & expressive, and pretty much exactly what I think of when I think of a website as an artform.

    Green Ivy
    I enjoy the Ukrainian/Russian artisanship on this wesite.

    Sites I enjoy

    I don't know these people, but I appreciate their work.

    What's That Bug?
    The title says it all.  An incredibly useful site for both the non-bug-phobic & the consummate bug-phobe.

    Margaret & Helen
    Best Friends for Sixty Years and Counting…

    Raging Grannies
    Okay, I'm nowhere near a grandmother, but I very much appreciate what these women are trying to do.  Especially the fact-checking part.

    Dog-shaming
    This site is ridiculous.  The home-made signage is the best.

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